Cavaliers are ideal trade partner for Pacers’ guard needs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be sellers at the NBA Trade Deadline, there’s no doubt about it. Buried in the standings, the team is going to entertain any offer that could possibly net them draft picks. With that being said, the Indiana Pacers should be one of the teams calling the Wine and Gold.

A few nights ago, the Indiana Pacers suffered a serious loss when star shooting guard Victor Oladipo went down with what was later identified as a ruptured quad tendon. The injury requires surgery and will keep Oladipo, the heart and soul of the Pacers, out for the rest of the season.

With Indiana really not trying to give up any of their young core to help them this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be the first team that Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard dials up when discussing guard depth.

There’s a bit of history between the Pacers and Cavaliers over the past few seasons that goes beyond the on-court play. Besides the two squads facing off in the last two postseasons, the teams tried to orchestrate a deal for then-Pacers star Paul George.

After talks between the sides seemed to be getting somewhere, Pritchard decided to take the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offer that was headlined by Oladipo. At the time, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert scoffed at Pritchard’s decision to go in a different direction, claiming that he felt the Pacers’ accepted deal was a mistake.

The Pacers showed that the trade was the right move for them at the time. But ironically enough, Oladipo’s injury may open up discussions between the two Central Division foes once again.

Cleveland wouldn’t be asking for a ton back from the Pacers, as they seem to understand the value of most of their roster. For a quick fix, the Wine and Gold seem to be an ideal trade partner to help the Pacers on their playoff quest.

So who would be the most likely guards to be shipped out of town? Initial thoughts would include Cedi Osman, Rodney Hood, Alec Burks, and Jordan Clarkson.

The likeliness of the Cavaliers moving Osman is not high, as they seem to have a ton of stock invested in the second-year player. With Osman having a lot of support from the organization, it seems like he’ll receive at least another half of a season to improve his game.

That leaves Hood, Burks, and Clarkson for assessment.

Burks may be the third least-likely player out of the bunch to be moved, as his contract is a tad pricey for an expiring contract. His play is also very inconsistent, as he truly doesn’t have a facet of his game that he’s above average at. Though there’s interest in Burks from other contenders, his fit with Indiana doesn’t seem to match.

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After narrowing it down, Hood and Clarkson are the only two logical options. It just comes down to what Indiana really wants to acquire, that being a starter or some depth at the guard position.

Looking at the current situation, the Pacers do have Tyreke Evans, who started in Oladipo’s absence earlier this season. Evans is averaging 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season but is only hitting 39.3 percent of his shots, per Basketball Reference.

Heading into the playoffs, it’s important for Indiana to have a go-to scorer and clearly, as of now, Evans isn’t that. Neither is Darren Collison, who only averages 9.7 points per game as the team’s starting point guard.

Once you think about it, Clarkson is the best match.

Clarkson is a guy who isn’t afraid to take shots in any environment, aware that he’ll be ridiculed for shooting a bunch even if he’s connecting on a vast majority of his shot attempts. He’s been a starter before in Los Angeles and has become a very solid sixth-man in Cleveland. Quite honestly, he’s a fit for either unit when it comes to the Pacers.

AmicoHoops.net’s Sam Amico talked about the value of Clarkson as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches while on the “Cavs on the Break” podcast with Chase Smith, bringing up the Pacers’ current state as a reason to go after the sixth-year pro.

"“There’s interest in Clarkson…Maybe the Pacers are saying ‘You know what? We need some scoring. What about Clarkson? Could we bring him off the bench? What would we do to get him?'”"

No one expects the Pacers to give up a lot for a short-term fix and that’s why the Cavaliers are a perfect trading partner.

A package of T.J. Leaf, Cory Joseph, and a 2019 top-44 second-round pick should get the job done.

This gives the Cavaliers another young forward to experiment with in Leaf, as the former UCLA Bruin hasn’t been able to show his worth in the Pacers’ crowded rotation. With Cleveland likely to deal a few of their players, the 21-year-old could have a chance to find a home with the Wine and Gold. He’s also under control for the foreseeable future, which is another plus.

Joseph would provide some more point guard depth if nothing else. His contract is up at the end of the season and it would be unlikely that the Cavaliers re-sign him to another deal.

Of course, draft picks are essential for this rebuild and netting a second-rounder along with Leaf would be a job well done by Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman. He’d send over Clarkson to give assistance to a contender without asking for too much, building the relationship with the two teams for future deals down the line.

To make this work financially, Altman would also use Sam Dekker’s 2.4 million-dollar trade exception.

All in all, this is how the trade would look.

It was reportedly thought that at least a few of the Cavaliers’ guards would be on the move at the trade deadline, despite the so-so market for them.

The Pacers’ immediate need for more scoring makes the market a tad bit larger, and the Cavs add another potential pick to a growing stockpile.